THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS...
There are so many things to do… and so little time. In a country that presents its inhabitants with so many different opportunities to be involved in so many different things, in a culture that caters to extracurricular activities and big events and personal hobbies and extensive travel and frequent vacations and all of the toys that go along with them, at a time when your schedule and the schedule of your family members can be filled with as many things as you can possibly squeeze in, you’ve got to pick and choose. You can’t possibly do everything there is to do or see everything there is to see or experience everything there is to experience. And so you have to make some tough decisions about what things are the most important, what things are worth doing and seeing and experiencing… and what things aren’t.
Our lives are filled with those kinds of choices every day. Do I have time to go to this particular gathering? Do we have the money to take this vacation? Do we have the opportunity to retire early? Do I have the patience and the stamina to get involved with this activity? Would this be a good thing for my family? Would this be the best option for my health? Do I want to try this thing or that thing? Would I like this better or that better? Do we need this more or that more? There is only so much time in a day, only so much money in the bank, only so much gas in the tank - and so what are the most important things in your life that you’re going to focus on?
That Most-Important-Things list is different for each one of us. All of us have made decisions that have steered our lives in certain directions, and we continue to make those kinds of decisions today - usually based on what we want or what we like or what is fun or what is enjoyable or what seems best for our future and the futures of our family. And as Christians, in the setting that we are in this morning, knowing what you know and believing what you believe, I would guess that if I asked you right now to jot down the number one Most Important Thing for you in this life - I would suspect that most of you would probably write down: the Lord or your faith or Jesus Christ on the cross. And that would be a good answer! That should be the Most Important Thing on your list. But that answer is too easy to give while you’re sitting in here! That answer is too automatic when you are here in church on a Sunday morning hearing the Word of God among your fellows Christians! That answer isn’t as easy out there, outside these windows, out in the middle of a regular week when you’re not surrounded by the Word of God, when you’re not in the Lord’s house, when you’re not being reminded about the importance of Christ’s sacrifice and your faith in him. Out there it’s different. Out there there are plenty of distractions and temptations and even blessings that occupy our time and our energy. And our Most Important Things list shifts a little bit from Sunday morning to Monday morning, doesn’t it? Suddenly “faith in Jesus” drops from the number one spot down a few notches. And in its place slides family or your job or your relaxation or your chores or your reputation or your enjoyment of life.
And just to illustrate that point, what would your answer be if I asked you this question: what is the most important thing to you this coming week? If you had to rank what you were going to be involved with, what is the most important thing to you in just these next seven days? To make sure your kids get dropped off and picked up from school every day? Is that the most important thing to you this week? Or is it to get to your job on time every morning? To watch that one tv show that you really like? To finish that book you started? To spend time with your family? To meet up with your friends? To call your grandkids? To clean the house that hasn’t been cleaned in a while? To mow the lawn that really needs it? To fix that one item in the house that’s been broken for months? What is it? What is the most important thing for you to accomplish or do or see or experience this coming week? Now all of those goals and jobs and plans that I just mentioned are all normal things; they are all regular God-pleasing things. But are they really the Most Important Things? Should they be at the very top of your priority list? Should they take the number one spot?
Sometimes we get so engrossed in the nitty gritty details of this life that we forget about the big things that have to do with the life to come. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what needs to be done now or what things can be had right now that we completely ignore what has already been done for us and what we already have. Sometimes our Most Important Things aren’t the most important things.
Have you ever wondered what God’s Most-Important-Things list looks like? Out of all the things that he has to take care of, out of all the things that are on his plate, what do you suppose is at the very top of his list? It’s not the organization and logistics of running a place like heaven. It’s not the orchestration of the sun and the moon and the planets and the stars in their orbits. It’s not even the preservation and direction of this world. It’s you. You are at the top of his list. Your forgiveness and your salvation and your eternal life is God’s number one priority. Because listen to what he promises you in his Word: “God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” That one thing takes precedence over the sun shining in the sky or the rain falling from the clouds or the earth spinning on its axis as far as the Lord is concerned. There is nothing more important to your God than the salvation of your soul.
But it’s not just a wish. It’s not just a passing hope God has without doing anything about it. “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” Whoa. Does that not make your skin tingle? Christ Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all people! Jesus cared about you so much, Jesus wanted you to be saved so badly that he actually gave up his life as a ransom price to make sure it happened! Yes, I know you’ve heard that before. Yes, it’s been repeated from this pulpit every week. Most of you grew up on this gospel promise. But isn’t it breath-taking!?! Isn’t it almost beyond belief? God, the Almighty, powerful, everlasting, glorious, and perfect God looked down on this sinful earth filled with sinful human beings and he actually said, “I want them to be saved. I want them to enjoy the perfections of heaven that I’m enjoying right now. I want them to have what they gave up. And to do that, I’m going to go down there myself. I’m going to live like one of them - in their place. I’m going to open myself up to be tempted by the devil. I’m going to allow myself to be beaten and abused and tortured by those I want to save. I’m even going to go as far as suffering crucifixion and the torments of hell for their sake. Because I don’t want them to have to experience that punishment of eternal damnation. I’ll take it. I don’t want them to get what their sins deserve. I’ll carry it. I don’t want them to have to feel that pain. I’ll endure it.”
Have you ever wanted anything that badly? Have you ever considered something so important that, if you actually had to, you would be willing to give up your own life to make sure it happened? And this is the Lord God we’re talking about. This is someone who doesn’t owe anyone anything. Someone who existed long before he ever created us. Someone who was perfectly happy when we weren’t even around. And then when we did come around we sinned! And we sinned some more! And we still sin now! We disobey what he tells us in his Word; we don’t listen to his instructions; we do whatever we feel like doing without any regard for what he wants. But for some reason he still considers you his Most Important Thing! That should surprise you a little bit! That should humble you a lot!
It was certainly a humbling thing to be here this morning and watch as two of God’s children were baptized, wasn’t it? What an amazing act of God’s grace! The promise of real and true and full forgiveness given to little children! The promise of faith in Jesus given to little children! The promise of adoption into God’s family given to little children! The promise of being wrapped up in Christ like he is a spiritual robe or sorts given to little children! What more important thing could parents do than bring their children to receive the incredible free blessings of God himself in a simple but spectacular way? What more important thing is there to our Lord than to take a sinful child and wash those sins away in the water and the Holy Spirit through the Word? Baptism connects a sinner with the cross. Baptism is a way that the Lord takes the forgiveness he died for on a cross 2000 years ago and gives it to a sinner who needs it. And you can guarantee that there is rejoicing in heaven right now by God and his angels and the believers that are already there because of what happened at this baptismal font this morning. There is nothing better than when forgiveness is given. There is nothing better than when Jesus’ sacrifice is believed. There is nothing better than when God’s Word is heard.
I’m glad that you are hearing that Word right now. And I would hope that the Most Important Thing in your life this week would be hearing more of that Word, digging deeper into that Word, reading farther into that Word. Because that Word of God contains your salvation! It speaks about your Savior and everything he has done and is doing and will do. I pray that whatever happens in these next seven days, whatever you get done, whatever you accomplish, whatever you experience, you also come in contact with the Word of God on a regular basis so that your faith is fed, so that your heart is comforted, so that your soul is secure.
That’s my Most Important Thing for you: that your faith is fed with the truth as often as possible. That is what I pray for, that is what I work for, that is what I strive for every day. I’m always looking to feed you with the right words of God at the right time in the right way. Getting into our own church building some day? Important, but not The Most Important Thing. Opening up a preschool in the near future? Important - especially because it will allow us to spread that Word to others - but not The Most Important Thing. A growing, thriving, vibrant congregation? A marriage that is enjoyable and pleasant? Children who are happy and healthy and safe? A life that is productive and satisfying. All important things, but not The Most Important Thing. And I hope you feel the same way. I look forward to continuing to grow in that Word together in the coming weeks and months and years until we meet together in heaven - where the Most Important Thing will finally be the Only Thing.
Amen.
“You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Cor. 6:11
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
THIS DAY IS SACRED TO OUR LORD
It had been a long time since the Israelites had worshiped the Lord like they did on the first day of the 7th month in 445 B.C. In fact, it had been a long time since they had gathered in Jerusalem as a group of believers at all! There had been a 70 year exile of the people of Israel in Babylon, and then it took 4 ½ years to rebuild the temple by those who had come back, and then there were about another 70 years in between the rebuilding of the temple and the repairing of the walls of the city of Jerusalem. And during that time there were no regularly scheduled worship services for the nation of Israel. For at least 145 years the three annual festivals were not held, the prescribed sacrifices were not offered, the Book of the Law was never publically read - and that’s not even counting the years that God’s people were ruled by ungodly Israelite kings leading up to the Babylonian exile. But then, after all that time, under the direction of the governor, Nehemiah, and Ezra the priest, this remnant of the children of Abraham were able to worship their Lord like no one of that generation ever had before. And starting on that first day of the 7th month in 445 B.C and for the days that followed, sins were confessed and forgiveness was given, songs were sung, potlucks were held, choirs were formed, the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated for the 1st time in 1000 years, but the greatest thing of all was that the Book of the Law was finally read in the hearing of the people once again.
“They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” It was a sermon, an explanation and application of the Word of God to the lives of the people. And when the people heard it, they wept. All of the Israelites who were listening to God’s Word that day cried out together because they realized how sinful they had been and how poorly they had kept the laws that the Lord had laid out for them. And so Nehemiah and the Levites went to the people and encouraged them: “This day is sacred to our Lord,” they said. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Yes, the people had sinned against their Lord. But their Lord was joyful. He was happy to see his people gather together to hear his Word and to confess their sins and to learn about their forgiveness in the coming Savior. This day was not supposed to be a day of wrath or judgment. It was a glorious day. It was a sacred day.
This day is sacred to our Lord as well: Sunday, September 19th, 2010. This day is a holy day as far as our Lord is concerned because it is the day that you are in his house, the day a flock of his sheep has gathered together, the day his Word is read, his Supper is given, and his Truth is taught. He loves this day! He was looking forward to this day all week! Because there’s nothing our Lord would rather do on a Sunday morning than make a personal visit to a group of his children and feed them by hand the delicious morsels of his gospel. This day is a special day to our Lord. This day is sacred.
Is that the attitude you brought to church this morning? Did you share that same joy with your Lord as you woke up this morning and realized that it was Sunday again? Were you just as excited to meet him in his house as he was or as eager to be fed with the spiritual food for your soul as our Lord was to feed you? Or was this just another Sunday? Just another September morning? Just another beginning of just another week? A lot of times another Sunday is just another Sunday to us. Because the same things seem to happen, the same basic liturgy seems to be used, the same basic melodies seem to be sung, the same basic prayers seem to be prayed, the same basic sermon seems to be preached… What’s so different about it? What’s so unique? What’s so exciting? Yeah, it’s nice to be in God’s house and to be around other Christians and to have a break from the monotony of the work week, but is this day really a holy day? Is this day really all that sacred? It hardly seems any different than any other Sunday of the year…
But it’s not just another day of the week! And it’s not just even another Sunday! It’s another opportunity for you to get to know your heavenly Father better. It’s another chance for you to hear what he has to say about your life here on earth and your future life in heaven. It’s another occasion for your faith to be fortified by God’s powerful gospel. How could we possibly think that it’s just another Sunday? And it’s not just you. It’s me too. Sometimes I’ll get done with a Sunday morning, and after the worship service and after the Bible study, maybe after a Sunday council meeting or an afternoon fellowship event, I go home, change into some comfortable clothes, sit down on the couch, turn on the football game, take a deep breath and think, “I made it through another Sunday.” Now I’m not implying that I don’t like what I do or I don’t enjoy everything that happens on a Sunday morning here at church. I’m saying that there’s a lot of work and a lot of time and a lot of effort that goes into what happens on a Sunday morning. And if it’s been a busy week or a more difficult process than usual, it’s almost a relief that I not only got through it all but it actually somehow turned out all right! However, my attempts to “survive” some Sunday mornings can all too often overcome my joy that I should have while I’m here. And Sunday mornings deserve more than that! Our Lord deserves more than that! He considers this a sacred day, a holy day, a special day! He doesn’t think of this as just another one. He doesn’t treat today as if it’s just one more thing to check off his “to do” list! He doesn’t just go through the motions so that he can get on with something else!
And why does our Lord think this day is so great? Because this is the day and this is the time when he gets to sit down with you and explain to you how much he loves you. This is the day and this is the time when he is able to remind you about all of the things he’s done for you in the past, all of the things he is doing for you right now, and all of the things he has in mind for you in the future. This is the day and this is the time when he works on your heart with his Word - strengthening it, comforting it, moving it to do and believe what he wants. This is the day and this is the time when it’s just you and him and your brothers and sisters, gathered around his pulpit and his altar and his font, a captive audience to his every word. This is the day and this is the time that he hears the prayers and the praises and the songs of those he loves, those he has won back, those he can’t get enough of. This is the day and this is the time that is sacred to our Lord. And he wouldn’t give it up for anything!
He loves those moments when you open your own Bible at home too, of course. He loves it when you fold your hands and bow your heads at your evening prayers; he loves it when you read your family devotions; he loves it when you fill your heart and mind with his gospel in whatever way you can throughout the week. But where else are you able to gather together with so many like-minded believers as you are right here, right now? Where else are you able to hear in person the Word of God being integrated into your own life? Where else are you able to witness a baptism into God’s family? Where else are you able to stand shoulder to shoulder with brothers and sisters and receive Christ’s true body and blood? Where else are hymns and confessions and psalms and statements of faith and blessings and Scripture readings all put together for your spiritual edification and the Lord’s glory? At what other time and in what other place is our Lord able to reach so many of his people all at once? Today is a family reunion of sorts for our Lord. His children are here all at the same time. The young and the old. The mature and the immature. The confident and the hurting. And so of course this day is going to be sacred to our heavenly Father. Why wouldn’t it be?
Many of you are at least familiar with Nebraska Lutheran High School, one of our area Lutheran high schools associated with our church body in Waco, NE. It’s a small school, a dorm school. And in the past few years they have been able to get more and more students from overseas, students who are not Lutheran, students who are oftentimes not even Christian. After the first Sunday worship service at the beginning of this school year last month, one of the girls who had come to Nebraska Lutheran from a foreign country said to a teacher, “That was the first time I have ever been in a church service before.” Wow! Really? What a day! What an event! The first time she heard about her Savior in a public setting! The first time a hymn about her Savior was sung! The first time a sermon about her Savior was preached! What a great experience! What a thrilling opportunity! What a sacred day that must have been - for her and for her Lord!
We don’t have that luxury anymore in our lives, of course. We can’t have that first-time-Christ-in-the-Word experience again because today is our 30th time or our 300th time or for some of us our 3000th time in a church service. But this day is just as real and just as important and just as glorious as it would be for someone their very first time around. Because the Word of the Lord is heard today. The forgiveness of the Lord is given today. The power of the Lord is demonstrated today and the love and grace and mercy of the Lord are poured out today. Today you are recipients of all the blessings the Lord gives to his people through his Word. Today you are proof of what the Lord can do to the heart of a sinner.
Yesterday, Saturday was an important day too on the Jewish calendar. It was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement in Old Testament worship life was the greatest of the three annual festivals on which the Israelites congregated in Jerusalem to praise their Lord. On that special day the high priest for the year would dress in the traditional sacred garments, slaughter a bull, fill a censer with incense, and enter the Most Holy Place that held the ark of the covenant - the place where the Lord himself had promised to dwell among his people. There the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the bull on the altar to “atone” for, to cleanse, to make up for his sins and the sins of all the people. And on that day the blood of one sacrifice would wash away the guilt of every single child of God. It was a festival that ultimately pointed to what Christ would do for his people. And so it was the most sacred day of the year.
We have the privilege celebrating a Day of Atonement every single Sunday. Because every time we gather together in this building we hear once again the groans and cries of our own sacrifice being slaughtered as Jesus is nailed to a piece of wood; we see Christ’s blood spattered on the side of the cross; we smell the morning mustiness of the Easter tomb, open and empty, a cave containing burial cloths and nothing more. And, in fact, that’s why Christians have worshiped on Sunday for the last 2000 years: because it became known as “the Lord’s Day.” It was the day of the week on which Jesus rose from the dead and secured our eternal life in heaven. And so what better day of the week to worship than on a day that would remind us about Jesus’ victory over death every time we gather! It’s not necessary to worship on a Sunday, of course, but it’s beneficial. It’s not commanded, but commended. And as we sit in our chairs and sing the hymns and listen to the readings and make our confessions and pray our prayers and revel in the blessings on this Sunday, understand how fortunate you really are. You get to come to a place where the Word of God is freely taught and truly taught. You get to gather together with Christians who take the Word of God as seriously as you do. You get to set aside some time on a day that is sacred to your Lord. And your Lord is overjoyed that you are here on this day. Because he always has something prepared for you each week - something special, something just right, something that is exactly what you need to hear. He will make sure to work it into your heart this morning through his powerful Word and he can’t wait until you come back next Sunday for more.
Amen.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” - 1 Peter 1:3
It had been a long time since the Israelites had worshiped the Lord like they did on the first day of the 7th month in 445 B.C. In fact, it had been a long time since they had gathered in Jerusalem as a group of believers at all! There had been a 70 year exile of the people of Israel in Babylon, and then it took 4 ½ years to rebuild the temple by those who had come back, and then there were about another 70 years in between the rebuilding of the temple and the repairing of the walls of the city of Jerusalem. And during that time there were no regularly scheduled worship services for the nation of Israel. For at least 145 years the three annual festivals were not held, the prescribed sacrifices were not offered, the Book of the Law was never publically read - and that’s not even counting the years that God’s people were ruled by ungodly Israelite kings leading up to the Babylonian exile. But then, after all that time, under the direction of the governor, Nehemiah, and Ezra the priest, this remnant of the children of Abraham were able to worship their Lord like no one of that generation ever had before. And starting on that first day of the 7th month in 445 B.C and for the days that followed, sins were confessed and forgiveness was given, songs were sung, potlucks were held, choirs were formed, the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated for the 1st time in 1000 years, but the greatest thing of all was that the Book of the Law was finally read in the hearing of the people once again.
“They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” It was a sermon, an explanation and application of the Word of God to the lives of the people. And when the people heard it, they wept. All of the Israelites who were listening to God’s Word that day cried out together because they realized how sinful they had been and how poorly they had kept the laws that the Lord had laid out for them. And so Nehemiah and the Levites went to the people and encouraged them: “This day is sacred to our Lord,” they said. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Yes, the people had sinned against their Lord. But their Lord was joyful. He was happy to see his people gather together to hear his Word and to confess their sins and to learn about their forgiveness in the coming Savior. This day was not supposed to be a day of wrath or judgment. It was a glorious day. It was a sacred day.
This day is sacred to our Lord as well: Sunday, September 19th, 2010. This day is a holy day as far as our Lord is concerned because it is the day that you are in his house, the day a flock of his sheep has gathered together, the day his Word is read, his Supper is given, and his Truth is taught. He loves this day! He was looking forward to this day all week! Because there’s nothing our Lord would rather do on a Sunday morning than make a personal visit to a group of his children and feed them by hand the delicious morsels of his gospel. This day is a special day to our Lord. This day is sacred.
Is that the attitude you brought to church this morning? Did you share that same joy with your Lord as you woke up this morning and realized that it was Sunday again? Were you just as excited to meet him in his house as he was or as eager to be fed with the spiritual food for your soul as our Lord was to feed you? Or was this just another Sunday? Just another September morning? Just another beginning of just another week? A lot of times another Sunday is just another Sunday to us. Because the same things seem to happen, the same basic liturgy seems to be used, the same basic melodies seem to be sung, the same basic prayers seem to be prayed, the same basic sermon seems to be preached… What’s so different about it? What’s so unique? What’s so exciting? Yeah, it’s nice to be in God’s house and to be around other Christians and to have a break from the monotony of the work week, but is this day really a holy day? Is this day really all that sacred? It hardly seems any different than any other Sunday of the year…
But it’s not just another day of the week! And it’s not just even another Sunday! It’s another opportunity for you to get to know your heavenly Father better. It’s another chance for you to hear what he has to say about your life here on earth and your future life in heaven. It’s another occasion for your faith to be fortified by God’s powerful gospel. How could we possibly think that it’s just another Sunday? And it’s not just you. It’s me too. Sometimes I’ll get done with a Sunday morning, and after the worship service and after the Bible study, maybe after a Sunday council meeting or an afternoon fellowship event, I go home, change into some comfortable clothes, sit down on the couch, turn on the football game, take a deep breath and think, “I made it through another Sunday.” Now I’m not implying that I don’t like what I do or I don’t enjoy everything that happens on a Sunday morning here at church. I’m saying that there’s a lot of work and a lot of time and a lot of effort that goes into what happens on a Sunday morning. And if it’s been a busy week or a more difficult process than usual, it’s almost a relief that I not only got through it all but it actually somehow turned out all right! However, my attempts to “survive” some Sunday mornings can all too often overcome my joy that I should have while I’m here. And Sunday mornings deserve more than that! Our Lord deserves more than that! He considers this a sacred day, a holy day, a special day! He doesn’t think of this as just another one. He doesn’t treat today as if it’s just one more thing to check off his “to do” list! He doesn’t just go through the motions so that he can get on with something else!
And why does our Lord think this day is so great? Because this is the day and this is the time when he gets to sit down with you and explain to you how much he loves you. This is the day and this is the time when he is able to remind you about all of the things he’s done for you in the past, all of the things he is doing for you right now, and all of the things he has in mind for you in the future. This is the day and this is the time when he works on your heart with his Word - strengthening it, comforting it, moving it to do and believe what he wants. This is the day and this is the time when it’s just you and him and your brothers and sisters, gathered around his pulpit and his altar and his font, a captive audience to his every word. This is the day and this is the time that he hears the prayers and the praises and the songs of those he loves, those he has won back, those he can’t get enough of. This is the day and this is the time that is sacred to our Lord. And he wouldn’t give it up for anything!
He loves those moments when you open your own Bible at home too, of course. He loves it when you fold your hands and bow your heads at your evening prayers; he loves it when you read your family devotions; he loves it when you fill your heart and mind with his gospel in whatever way you can throughout the week. But where else are you able to gather together with so many like-minded believers as you are right here, right now? Where else are you able to hear in person the Word of God being integrated into your own life? Where else are you able to witness a baptism into God’s family? Where else are you able to stand shoulder to shoulder with brothers and sisters and receive Christ’s true body and blood? Where else are hymns and confessions and psalms and statements of faith and blessings and Scripture readings all put together for your spiritual edification and the Lord’s glory? At what other time and in what other place is our Lord able to reach so many of his people all at once? Today is a family reunion of sorts for our Lord. His children are here all at the same time. The young and the old. The mature and the immature. The confident and the hurting. And so of course this day is going to be sacred to our heavenly Father. Why wouldn’t it be?
Many of you are at least familiar with Nebraska Lutheran High School, one of our area Lutheran high schools associated with our church body in Waco, NE. It’s a small school, a dorm school. And in the past few years they have been able to get more and more students from overseas, students who are not Lutheran, students who are oftentimes not even Christian. After the first Sunday worship service at the beginning of this school year last month, one of the girls who had come to Nebraska Lutheran from a foreign country said to a teacher, “That was the first time I have ever been in a church service before.” Wow! Really? What a day! What an event! The first time she heard about her Savior in a public setting! The first time a hymn about her Savior was sung! The first time a sermon about her Savior was preached! What a great experience! What a thrilling opportunity! What a sacred day that must have been - for her and for her Lord!
We don’t have that luxury anymore in our lives, of course. We can’t have that first-time-Christ-in-the-Word experience again because today is our 30th time or our 300th time or for some of us our 3000th time in a church service. But this day is just as real and just as important and just as glorious as it would be for someone their very first time around. Because the Word of the Lord is heard today. The forgiveness of the Lord is given today. The power of the Lord is demonstrated today and the love and grace and mercy of the Lord are poured out today. Today you are recipients of all the blessings the Lord gives to his people through his Word. Today you are proof of what the Lord can do to the heart of a sinner.
Yesterday, Saturday was an important day too on the Jewish calendar. It was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement in Old Testament worship life was the greatest of the three annual festivals on which the Israelites congregated in Jerusalem to praise their Lord. On that special day the high priest for the year would dress in the traditional sacred garments, slaughter a bull, fill a censer with incense, and enter the Most Holy Place that held the ark of the covenant - the place where the Lord himself had promised to dwell among his people. There the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the bull on the altar to “atone” for, to cleanse, to make up for his sins and the sins of all the people. And on that day the blood of one sacrifice would wash away the guilt of every single child of God. It was a festival that ultimately pointed to what Christ would do for his people. And so it was the most sacred day of the year.
We have the privilege celebrating a Day of Atonement every single Sunday. Because every time we gather together in this building we hear once again the groans and cries of our own sacrifice being slaughtered as Jesus is nailed to a piece of wood; we see Christ’s blood spattered on the side of the cross; we smell the morning mustiness of the Easter tomb, open and empty, a cave containing burial cloths and nothing more. And, in fact, that’s why Christians have worshiped on Sunday for the last 2000 years: because it became known as “the Lord’s Day.” It was the day of the week on which Jesus rose from the dead and secured our eternal life in heaven. And so what better day of the week to worship than on a day that would remind us about Jesus’ victory over death every time we gather! It’s not necessary to worship on a Sunday, of course, but it’s beneficial. It’s not commanded, but commended. And as we sit in our chairs and sing the hymns and listen to the readings and make our confessions and pray our prayers and revel in the blessings on this Sunday, understand how fortunate you really are. You get to come to a place where the Word of God is freely taught and truly taught. You get to gather together with Christians who take the Word of God as seriously as you do. You get to set aside some time on a day that is sacred to your Lord. And your Lord is overjoyed that you are here on this day. Because he always has something prepared for you each week - something special, something just right, something that is exactly what you need to hear. He will make sure to work it into your heart this morning through his powerful Word and he can’t wait until you come back next Sunday for more.
Amen.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” - 1 Peter 1:3
Monday, September 13, 2010
9/12/10 - Pentecost 16 - Proverbs 9:10
YOU ARE SMARTER THAN MOST
On Judgment Day you and I will be in heaven. But unfortunately there will be many more people who will end up in hell. And there’s going to be a wide variety of people there: From doctors, lawyers, scientists, professors, CEOs… to the unemployed, the uneducated, the mentally challenged. It won’t matter what title they have in front of their names. It won’t matter what initials they can place behind them. It won’t matter what amount of schooling they’ve completed or when they dropped out. It won’t matter what degree they have earned or what crimes they have broken. It won’t matter what achievements they’ve accomplished or what talents they’ve wasted. Without faith in their Savior, nothing else will matter. Without a knowledge of the God-man who gave up his life for their sins all of their successes or failures, all of their intelligence or stupidity will be inconsequential. Because the cross will be the only success that counts. And faith in the one who died on that cross will be the only knowledge necessary.
There are people in this world that know a lot of things. There are individuals whose minds are blessed in such tremendous ways that they can remember a seemingly countless array of information, people who can pick up anything and everything the very first time they hear it or try it, people whose minds and talents work together amazingly well to produce amazing results. But some of these very people are the ones who will not make it to heaven. With all of their intelligence and with all of their wisdom and with all of their learning, they will die ignorant. They will die without the only thing they need to know.
But not you. You are smarter than most. You are more intelligent than you may think. In fact, you are more brilliant than the majority of people in this world. Because Scripture says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Faith in your Savior is where intelligence starts. Knowledge of your Lord is where wisdom begins. And so without it, without faith in Jesus and what he did, everything else will always be blurred. Everything else in this world will be out of focus and strangely skewed because there would be no point of reference from which to see things clearly. Even if a believer and an unbeliever see and experience the exact same things at the exact same time, only the believer will be able to see things from the correct angle.
Consider Cain and Abel. Both sons of the very first couple, Adam and Eve. Both had the opportunity to speak to God in person. Both given various gifts that they could give back to the Lord. But one believed in his Savior and the other didn’t. And so when it was time to give the offering, Abel saw it as an opportunity to thank the Lord for everything he had done for him and he presented his offering with joy. Cain did not fear the Lord; he did not believe in his Savior. And so he begrudgingly brought his offering with disgust and he eventually murdered his own brother out of envy. They had the same upbringing and the same opportunities, but only the believer had a correct understanding of the situation at hand.
Or think of the apostle Peter and Judas Iscariot. Both handpicked disciples of Jesus himself. Both witnesses of his miracles and preaching and arrest and suffering. But one believed in Jesus as his Savior, the other did not. And so when Peter realized that he had sinned against Christ by denying who he was in the courtyard of the high priest, he repented of his sins and clung to Jesus for forgiveness. But when Judas became aware of the gravity of his sins, he fell into despair and hung himself in sorrow because he did not know that the forgiveness Jesus would soon earn on that cross would be for him too. Both of these disciples had the same chance and had been taught the same things, but only one could see past his sins to his Savior. Throughout Scripture believers and unbelievers have seen and experienced the exact same things in completely different ways. And that happens still today.
Think of the difference between the way you as a Christian look at this world and the way an unbeliever looks at it. You see a world that was created by God himself. You see an earth that was once made perfect but corrupted by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You see a universe that was made just for us and will one day be destroyed to lead to something better in heaven. But an unbeliever, someone who does not know Christ, will look at this same world and come to a completely different conclusion. They see a world not created by God, but by chance. They see an earth not corrupted in ancient times by a couple named Adam and Eve, but rather a round rotating ball governed simply by the laws of nature and survival of the fittest. They do not imagine anything after this world ends if they think this world will end at all. An unbeliever’s point of view is almost opposite that of a Christian.
Even the way you as a Christian handle difficulties is different than the way an unbeliever does. You have confidence that the Lord will turn out everything for your good; an unbeliever is filled with anxiety. You are sure that God is still with you through it all; an unbeliever feels all alone. You are completely convinced that whatever happens God’s will is being carried out; while an unbeliever can do nothing but despair when life is difficult and unbearable. Unbelievers will always see things through sin colored glasses because they do not have the foundation of Christ on which to stand. Without Christ their assumptions will always be misdirected; their conclusions will always be off base; and their motivation to do anything will always be selfishly driven in some way. And that happens because they do not know their God who is behind it all. They do not know their Savior who has fixed it all. That’s why you are smarter than most. You actually know your Lord. You are privileged to believe in your Savior. And that makes you brilliant compared to the vast majority of people on this earth.
Of course, it’s one thing to know something; it’s quite another to put that knowledge into practice. We are certainly spiritually wise because of the faith the Lord has blessed us with, but we often act like the dumbest people on earth. We may know that God is with us in any and every situation, but that doesn’t stop us from worrying about the minor and trivial things of this life. We may know that everything on this earth will pass away and heaven is our true and eternal home, but that doesn’t prevent us from getting caught up in the wants and desires of this life at times. We may know what God asks us to do as Christians but that’s doesn’t always mean we do it. And that’s not very smart, is it? If we know exactly what we are supposed to do from the clear words of Scripture and we don’t do it… that’s not only unwise, that’s stupid! That’s acting like an idiot! That’s acting like a sinner. Not doing what God tells us to do is not behaving like the intelligent Christians that we are; that is ignoring the knowledge that we have been given and acting on our own whims and wishes. It is embarrassing when we who are so wise in faith fall into the stupidity of sin time and time again. It shouldn’t happen; we’re too smart for that; we should know better; but it happens all time.
It even happened to Solomon. The man who wrote this very proverb that we are studying this morning, the man who was not only wise in faith but wise by human standards as well - even Solomon himself fell into the stupidity of sin in different ways. One of his faults had to do with women. The Lord had established marriage as a blessing to be shared between one man and one woman, but Solomon conveniently ignored that divine arrangement and acquired a total of 1000 wives and concubines. The Lord then warned him not to turn away and follow other gods, but that is exactly what Solomon ended up doing anyway. He worshiped the false gods of his wives and forgot what the Lord had done for him. Solomon did not always put his spiritual wisdom or even his earthly wisdom into practice. He often acted like a fool.
And so the question sometimes becomes: Did Solomon die a believer? I would like to think so. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes towards the end of his life and he wrote it from a Christian perspective, and so it is likely that Solomon was a believer at the time of his death. Which means he is in heaven right now. Despite his foolishness, despite his sinful idiocy Solomon is in heaven right now. Not because he always acted so wisely of course, but because of the simple knowledge he had in his Savior.
We may act foolishly ourselves from time to time. We may be sinfully stupid on occasion. We may be downright dumb when it comes to acting like God’s child. But that will not negate our salvation. Because our eternal life does not depend on how wisely we act or how Christian we prove ourselves to be; it depends on the one who has given us the wisdom to believe in his Son. And that spiritual knowledge that we have in Jesus as our Savior is not something we gained by ourselves or something that we logically found out to be true or something that we were just naturally born with. This faith was given to us as a gift by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. “We speak a message of wisdom among the mature,” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age… No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and… God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:6,7,10). The wisdom of faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit himself. Those who have it are wise. Those who believe in Jesus are wise. Those who have a sure hope in heaven are wise. Those who trust in the Lord for their complete forgiveness are wise. You are wise. Your fellow Christians are wise. And no one else is.
And so in the end who is smarter: The chairman of the company who ends up in hell because he is not a Christian or the assembly line worker who ends up in heaven because he does know Christ? Who is smarter: The best-selling author and entrepreneur who ends up in hell because of her unbelief or the stay-at-home mom who ends up in heaven on account of her faith in the Savior? Who is smarter: The accomplished physicist who has traveled the world and has won countless awards and has taught at numerous universities and has authored several scientific theories but who does not know Jesus or the three year old child who can’t tie his own shoes but can sing “Jesus loves me” at the top of his lungs? Who is smarter? Who has more wisdom when it is all said and done?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Thank your God that he has blessed you with the spiritual wisdom to believe in something that you cannot see, that no one can prove, and that nothing can explain. You actually believe in a God who became a man. You believe in a wooden cross that soaked up your sins in someone else’s blood. You believe in a tomb that wasn’t able to hold its only corpse. And you are wise for believing that. You are smarter than most. Now continue to grow in that knowledge of your Savior so that you do not let that wisdom slip away.
Amen.
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” - 2 Peter 3:18
On Judgment Day you and I will be in heaven. But unfortunately there will be many more people who will end up in hell. And there’s going to be a wide variety of people there: From doctors, lawyers, scientists, professors, CEOs… to the unemployed, the uneducated, the mentally challenged. It won’t matter what title they have in front of their names. It won’t matter what initials they can place behind them. It won’t matter what amount of schooling they’ve completed or when they dropped out. It won’t matter what degree they have earned or what crimes they have broken. It won’t matter what achievements they’ve accomplished or what talents they’ve wasted. Without faith in their Savior, nothing else will matter. Without a knowledge of the God-man who gave up his life for their sins all of their successes or failures, all of their intelligence or stupidity will be inconsequential. Because the cross will be the only success that counts. And faith in the one who died on that cross will be the only knowledge necessary.
There are people in this world that know a lot of things. There are individuals whose minds are blessed in such tremendous ways that they can remember a seemingly countless array of information, people who can pick up anything and everything the very first time they hear it or try it, people whose minds and talents work together amazingly well to produce amazing results. But some of these very people are the ones who will not make it to heaven. With all of their intelligence and with all of their wisdom and with all of their learning, they will die ignorant. They will die without the only thing they need to know.
But not you. You are smarter than most. You are more intelligent than you may think. In fact, you are more brilliant than the majority of people in this world. Because Scripture says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Faith in your Savior is where intelligence starts. Knowledge of your Lord is where wisdom begins. And so without it, without faith in Jesus and what he did, everything else will always be blurred. Everything else in this world will be out of focus and strangely skewed because there would be no point of reference from which to see things clearly. Even if a believer and an unbeliever see and experience the exact same things at the exact same time, only the believer will be able to see things from the correct angle.
Consider Cain and Abel. Both sons of the very first couple, Adam and Eve. Both had the opportunity to speak to God in person. Both given various gifts that they could give back to the Lord. But one believed in his Savior and the other didn’t. And so when it was time to give the offering, Abel saw it as an opportunity to thank the Lord for everything he had done for him and he presented his offering with joy. Cain did not fear the Lord; he did not believe in his Savior. And so he begrudgingly brought his offering with disgust and he eventually murdered his own brother out of envy. They had the same upbringing and the same opportunities, but only the believer had a correct understanding of the situation at hand.
Or think of the apostle Peter and Judas Iscariot. Both handpicked disciples of Jesus himself. Both witnesses of his miracles and preaching and arrest and suffering. But one believed in Jesus as his Savior, the other did not. And so when Peter realized that he had sinned against Christ by denying who he was in the courtyard of the high priest, he repented of his sins and clung to Jesus for forgiveness. But when Judas became aware of the gravity of his sins, he fell into despair and hung himself in sorrow because he did not know that the forgiveness Jesus would soon earn on that cross would be for him too. Both of these disciples had the same chance and had been taught the same things, but only one could see past his sins to his Savior. Throughout Scripture believers and unbelievers have seen and experienced the exact same things in completely different ways. And that happens still today.
Think of the difference between the way you as a Christian look at this world and the way an unbeliever looks at it. You see a world that was created by God himself. You see an earth that was once made perfect but corrupted by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. You see a universe that was made just for us and will one day be destroyed to lead to something better in heaven. But an unbeliever, someone who does not know Christ, will look at this same world and come to a completely different conclusion. They see a world not created by God, but by chance. They see an earth not corrupted in ancient times by a couple named Adam and Eve, but rather a round rotating ball governed simply by the laws of nature and survival of the fittest. They do not imagine anything after this world ends if they think this world will end at all. An unbeliever’s point of view is almost opposite that of a Christian.
Even the way you as a Christian handle difficulties is different than the way an unbeliever does. You have confidence that the Lord will turn out everything for your good; an unbeliever is filled with anxiety. You are sure that God is still with you through it all; an unbeliever feels all alone. You are completely convinced that whatever happens God’s will is being carried out; while an unbeliever can do nothing but despair when life is difficult and unbearable. Unbelievers will always see things through sin colored glasses because they do not have the foundation of Christ on which to stand. Without Christ their assumptions will always be misdirected; their conclusions will always be off base; and their motivation to do anything will always be selfishly driven in some way. And that happens because they do not know their God who is behind it all. They do not know their Savior who has fixed it all. That’s why you are smarter than most. You actually know your Lord. You are privileged to believe in your Savior. And that makes you brilliant compared to the vast majority of people on this earth.
Of course, it’s one thing to know something; it’s quite another to put that knowledge into practice. We are certainly spiritually wise because of the faith the Lord has blessed us with, but we often act like the dumbest people on earth. We may know that God is with us in any and every situation, but that doesn’t stop us from worrying about the minor and trivial things of this life. We may know that everything on this earth will pass away and heaven is our true and eternal home, but that doesn’t prevent us from getting caught up in the wants and desires of this life at times. We may know what God asks us to do as Christians but that’s doesn’t always mean we do it. And that’s not very smart, is it? If we know exactly what we are supposed to do from the clear words of Scripture and we don’t do it… that’s not only unwise, that’s stupid! That’s acting like an idiot! That’s acting like a sinner. Not doing what God tells us to do is not behaving like the intelligent Christians that we are; that is ignoring the knowledge that we have been given and acting on our own whims and wishes. It is embarrassing when we who are so wise in faith fall into the stupidity of sin time and time again. It shouldn’t happen; we’re too smart for that; we should know better; but it happens all time.
It even happened to Solomon. The man who wrote this very proverb that we are studying this morning, the man who was not only wise in faith but wise by human standards as well - even Solomon himself fell into the stupidity of sin in different ways. One of his faults had to do with women. The Lord had established marriage as a blessing to be shared between one man and one woman, but Solomon conveniently ignored that divine arrangement and acquired a total of 1000 wives and concubines. The Lord then warned him not to turn away and follow other gods, but that is exactly what Solomon ended up doing anyway. He worshiped the false gods of his wives and forgot what the Lord had done for him. Solomon did not always put his spiritual wisdom or even his earthly wisdom into practice. He often acted like a fool.
And so the question sometimes becomes: Did Solomon die a believer? I would like to think so. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes towards the end of his life and he wrote it from a Christian perspective, and so it is likely that Solomon was a believer at the time of his death. Which means he is in heaven right now. Despite his foolishness, despite his sinful idiocy Solomon is in heaven right now. Not because he always acted so wisely of course, but because of the simple knowledge he had in his Savior.
We may act foolishly ourselves from time to time. We may be sinfully stupid on occasion. We may be downright dumb when it comes to acting like God’s child. But that will not negate our salvation. Because our eternal life does not depend on how wisely we act or how Christian we prove ourselves to be; it depends on the one who has given us the wisdom to believe in his Son. And that spiritual knowledge that we have in Jesus as our Savior is not something we gained by ourselves or something that we logically found out to be true or something that we were just naturally born with. This faith was given to us as a gift by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. “We speak a message of wisdom among the mature,” Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age… No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and… God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:6,7,10). The wisdom of faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit himself. Those who have it are wise. Those who believe in Jesus are wise. Those who have a sure hope in heaven are wise. Those who trust in the Lord for their complete forgiveness are wise. You are wise. Your fellow Christians are wise. And no one else is.
And so in the end who is smarter: The chairman of the company who ends up in hell because he is not a Christian or the assembly line worker who ends up in heaven because he does know Christ? Who is smarter: The best-selling author and entrepreneur who ends up in hell because of her unbelief or the stay-at-home mom who ends up in heaven on account of her faith in the Savior? Who is smarter: The accomplished physicist who has traveled the world and has won countless awards and has taught at numerous universities and has authored several scientific theories but who does not know Jesus or the three year old child who can’t tie his own shoes but can sing “Jesus loves me” at the top of his lungs? Who is smarter? Who has more wisdom when it is all said and done?
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Thank your God that he has blessed you with the spiritual wisdom to believe in something that you cannot see, that no one can prove, and that nothing can explain. You actually believe in a God who became a man. You believe in a wooden cross that soaked up your sins in someone else’s blood. You believe in a tomb that wasn’t able to hold its only corpse. And you are wise for believing that. You are smarter than most. Now continue to grow in that knowledge of your Savior so that you do not let that wisdom slip away.
Amen.
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” - 2 Peter 3:18
Sunday, September 05, 2010
9/4/10 - Pentecost 15 - Hebrews 13:1-8
SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE
Some things never change. As most of you are aware, during these past three weeks my family and I were able to visit both sets of parents and all of our siblings on both sides along with their kids. And although there were some changes since the last time we saw them all, a lot of things about our brothers and sisters, moms and dads, nephews and nieces were just about the same as before. We talked about the same kinds of things, we ate at the same kinds of places, we watched the same kinds of shows, we played the same kinds of games - just like usual. And that’s normal. I’m sure your family has certain ways of doing things, different traditions that are always followed, unwritten rules that are generally accepted. Some things just never change. Whether for good or bad, some things never change. And there’s a little bit of comfort in that, isn’t there? It’s nice to know that some things won’t change because that’s what you’re used to, that’s what you expect, that’s what has worked before, that’s what is agreed to or at least put up with by everybody else.
But then, of course, there are those things that will always change whether you want them to or not. The parents and grandparents that were once so youthful and energetic keep getting older. The babies that were once so cute and cuddly keep growing bigger. Your own body that was once so fluid keeps getting tighter and tighter and your mind that was once so sharp keeps forgetting more and more. And it’s kind of a sad thing when those constants that you’ve always assumed would be there and always wanted to remain the same change, isn’t it? It’s a little disheartening when you find out that what you’re used will never be the same again.
Change can be a little disturbing. It can be hard to deal with. And so would you mind if we focused our attention on some reassuring words of God this morning? Words that will give us a little bit of confidence in this ever-changing world? “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus never changes. He does not grow older. He does not get tired. He does not become bored. He does not switch things around on a whim or decide to do something different than what he has always planned to do. Our God is completely stable. That’s why the psalms say over and over again: he is our rock; he is our fortress; he is our refuge; he is the one to whom we can always go; he is the one in whom we can always trust. Our God never changes. And that’s a very good thing.
It’s a very good thing because that means we don’t have to guess. We don’t have to wonder or worry about who he is or what he is going to do or what he wants. Because our good Lord tells us everything he wants us to know about him and what he is doing and what he wants in the plain and simple words of the Bible - and it’s never going to change! The Lord is not going to send us a revised version of Scripture any time soon! He’s not going to come out with the latest publisher’s edition that takes a few things out and adds a few more paragraphs in! No! God doesn’t need to do that! He doesn’t need to add or update or reword anything because what he has told us through the words of the Bible thousands of years ago are just as true today as they were back then. They are not going to go away. They will never be outdated or someday become obsolete. God’s words are eternal. They have survived long before you were ever born and they will continue long after you pass away. And no matter how many things change in this world, no matter how many new ideas are thought up, no matter how many new inventions are built, no matter how many new theories are tested, every one of God’s promises, every one of God’s instructions, every one of God’s commands will never change.
But the consistency of God’s Word can be frustrating too in a way. If you look at what God says in his Word at times, it can be somewhat discouraging that some of those words don’t change. Because let’s be blunt here: we can’t live up to them! We are continually trying to catch up, to make up, to gain some ground on the laws we have failed to keep time and time again. And it’s not going to change either. The commands and the decrees will always be there; the instructions and the directives will never be modified; and we will always find ourselves unable to carry out what is demanded and all too unwilling to avoid what is forbidden. And I hope that’s been noticeable to you throughout your life! I hope you’ve perceived how impossible it is to perform every one of God’s commands as perfectly he wants them to be kept. And that really struck me when I was reading through the first seven verses of this chapter Hebrews 13. Verse eight is that comforting verse, that beautiful phrase that we have already mentioned: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” But the first seven verses leading up to that beautiful gospel are all law! And they are laws I have a hard time dealing with and so I would imagine you do to! Let me list them quickly and you’ll see what I mean:
The first command in this chapter is: “Keep on loving each other as brothers…” I don’t even love my real brothers like brothers, let alone everyone else! “Don’t forget to entertain strangers…” To my shame, I oftentimes avoid strangers because I don’t want to spend my oh-so-valuable time on people I don’t even know. “Remember those in prison…” It’s so easy to forget Christians who are persecuted for their faith when I’m not behind those same bars. “Marriage should be honored by all…” My actions as a husband are rarely honorable. “Keep your lives free from the love of money…” But money buys so many interesting things and pays so many big bills and brings so much financial security! Can’t I love it just a little? “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith…” If I were half - if I were even a quarter - of the Christian those pastors and teachers and Christians who have gone before me were, that would be a major improvement to the way I live my life now! I hardly every change my sinful ways in order to imitate a Christian’s incredible faith of the past. I’m too sinfully stubborn for that. I’m too comfortable with my own familiar errors to want to do anything about it. Because changing my attitudes and my actions and my words and even my thoughts would take a lot of effort, a lot of sacrifice! To be nicer and kinder and more patience and more faithful in everything I do, to keep God’s unchanging commands better than I have been doing - that’s something that is hard for me to change! It’s so easy to get sinfully stuck, to walk inside the rut that we have made for ourselves, to lie down in the ditch we have fallen into instead of doing everything we can to climb back out. Our sinfulness does not change. But God’s laws do not change. And so we have placed ourselves in an awkward position. We call ourselves Christians but we are in the habit of letting the Lord down every single day. We are experts now, seasoned veterans, of falling far short of what God asks us to do on a regular basis.
But maybe that’s why the writer of the book of Hebrews places chapter thirteen verse eight where he does. Verse eight almost seems out of place, doesn’t it? It almost seems like a break in the line of thought because the author simply lists various commands and encouragements for the first seven verses and then all of the sudden he says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” That’s not a command; it’s a fact. And maybe he wanted to emphasize that these commands are not new fads; they are never-changing decrees. But maybe he also foresaw the guilt and the feelings of shame that his readers would experience from these words. Maybe he wanted to give us a little bit of comfort in knowing that although we cannot always do these things that God asks us to do in the way he wants us to do them, “Jesus Christ is [still] the same yesterday and today and forever.” His laws will not change but neither will his love. The love that he showed his people back then is the same kind of love he shows us right now. And the love that he shows us right now is the same kind of love that he will show us for all eternity. And there’s extreme comfort in that! Because consider the love of God that he has shown his people in the past.
In his love he created this earth purely for the enjoyment of human beings. In his love he gave Adam and Eve a promise of the Savior when they gave his perfect world up for something more. In his love our God preserved his chosen nation throughout the Old Testament even though they proved themselves to be a wicked and stubborn people. In his love he continually sent his prophets to speak the Word of God and write down his promises and judgments. In his love he personally took the form of a man, lived, preached, taught, suffered, died, rose, ascended. This is the love that the Lord has shown us and all of his people in the past. And some things never change. It’s the same kind of love he shows us today. In his love he cancels out debt. In his love he secures our own resurrection. In his love he watches out for us, listens to us, cares for us. In his love he forgives and forgives and forgives when all we do is sin and sin and sin.
Clouds may block the sun from view; trees may shade its light, a roof may keep its occupants from feeling its warmth; but the sun keeps on shining regardless of what’s in front of it. God keeps on loving. He does not stop even if you would stop loving him. He does not stop even if a nation completely rejects him. He does not stop even if everything in your life falls apart around you and you have nothing left to rely on. That love will not diminish over time. That love will not lose its flame. That love will not be stifled or suppressed or taken away. Just as the apostle Paul says, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). God’s love does not go away. It doesn’t matter if you feel it or not. It doesn’t matter if you see it or not. It doesn’t matter if you can pinpoint its results or can prove that it’s there or not. It’s there. God’s love is always there. And it will never leave.
These past few weeks were nice. It’s always nice seeing family every so often. It’s good to catch up; it’s good to relax; and it’s good to know that they are still pretty much the same. But all of those family members that we saw, all of those people that we talked with, all of those close relatives that we rely on and depend on won’t always be there. They will continue to get older and they will one day die. We don’t like to even think about it but you know it’s going to happen - because it has before! And that’s why a passage like Hebrews 13:8 is so important for us. Your Lord won’t die on you because he already has. He would give up his life for you again if that’s what it would take. But that’s not what it’ll will take; he’s already done everything. And so he stays up every night watching over you while you sleep. He is with you every day making sure that you are safe from harm. He is even getting a spot ready for you in heaven at this very moment. And he does that because he loves you. Because he cares for you. Because he longs for you.
And so go to your never-changing God tonight in prayer and thank him for never changing. Praise him for being so constant and dependable. Thank him for never letting you down. He will enjoy hearing your voice or seeing your thoughts. He always looks forward to giving you all the help you need and then some. Because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. And that will never change.
Amen.
“May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers. May he never leave us or forsake us.” - 1 Kings 8:57
Some things never change. As most of you are aware, during these past three weeks my family and I were able to visit both sets of parents and all of our siblings on both sides along with their kids. And although there were some changes since the last time we saw them all, a lot of things about our brothers and sisters, moms and dads, nephews and nieces were just about the same as before. We talked about the same kinds of things, we ate at the same kinds of places, we watched the same kinds of shows, we played the same kinds of games - just like usual. And that’s normal. I’m sure your family has certain ways of doing things, different traditions that are always followed, unwritten rules that are generally accepted. Some things just never change. Whether for good or bad, some things never change. And there’s a little bit of comfort in that, isn’t there? It’s nice to know that some things won’t change because that’s what you’re used to, that’s what you expect, that’s what has worked before, that’s what is agreed to or at least put up with by everybody else.
But then, of course, there are those things that will always change whether you want them to or not. The parents and grandparents that were once so youthful and energetic keep getting older. The babies that were once so cute and cuddly keep growing bigger. Your own body that was once so fluid keeps getting tighter and tighter and your mind that was once so sharp keeps forgetting more and more. And it’s kind of a sad thing when those constants that you’ve always assumed would be there and always wanted to remain the same change, isn’t it? It’s a little disheartening when you find out that what you’re used will never be the same again.
Change can be a little disturbing. It can be hard to deal with. And so would you mind if we focused our attention on some reassuring words of God this morning? Words that will give us a little bit of confidence in this ever-changing world? “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus never changes. He does not grow older. He does not get tired. He does not become bored. He does not switch things around on a whim or decide to do something different than what he has always planned to do. Our God is completely stable. That’s why the psalms say over and over again: he is our rock; he is our fortress; he is our refuge; he is the one to whom we can always go; he is the one in whom we can always trust. Our God never changes. And that’s a very good thing.
It’s a very good thing because that means we don’t have to guess. We don’t have to wonder or worry about who he is or what he is going to do or what he wants. Because our good Lord tells us everything he wants us to know about him and what he is doing and what he wants in the plain and simple words of the Bible - and it’s never going to change! The Lord is not going to send us a revised version of Scripture any time soon! He’s not going to come out with the latest publisher’s edition that takes a few things out and adds a few more paragraphs in! No! God doesn’t need to do that! He doesn’t need to add or update or reword anything because what he has told us through the words of the Bible thousands of years ago are just as true today as they were back then. They are not going to go away. They will never be outdated or someday become obsolete. God’s words are eternal. They have survived long before you were ever born and they will continue long after you pass away. And no matter how many things change in this world, no matter how many new ideas are thought up, no matter how many new inventions are built, no matter how many new theories are tested, every one of God’s promises, every one of God’s instructions, every one of God’s commands will never change.
But the consistency of God’s Word can be frustrating too in a way. If you look at what God says in his Word at times, it can be somewhat discouraging that some of those words don’t change. Because let’s be blunt here: we can’t live up to them! We are continually trying to catch up, to make up, to gain some ground on the laws we have failed to keep time and time again. And it’s not going to change either. The commands and the decrees will always be there; the instructions and the directives will never be modified; and we will always find ourselves unable to carry out what is demanded and all too unwilling to avoid what is forbidden. And I hope that’s been noticeable to you throughout your life! I hope you’ve perceived how impossible it is to perform every one of God’s commands as perfectly he wants them to be kept. And that really struck me when I was reading through the first seven verses of this chapter Hebrews 13. Verse eight is that comforting verse, that beautiful phrase that we have already mentioned: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” But the first seven verses leading up to that beautiful gospel are all law! And they are laws I have a hard time dealing with and so I would imagine you do to! Let me list them quickly and you’ll see what I mean:
The first command in this chapter is: “Keep on loving each other as brothers…” I don’t even love my real brothers like brothers, let alone everyone else! “Don’t forget to entertain strangers…” To my shame, I oftentimes avoid strangers because I don’t want to spend my oh-so-valuable time on people I don’t even know. “Remember those in prison…” It’s so easy to forget Christians who are persecuted for their faith when I’m not behind those same bars. “Marriage should be honored by all…” My actions as a husband are rarely honorable. “Keep your lives free from the love of money…” But money buys so many interesting things and pays so many big bills and brings so much financial security! Can’t I love it just a little? “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith…” If I were half - if I were even a quarter - of the Christian those pastors and teachers and Christians who have gone before me were, that would be a major improvement to the way I live my life now! I hardly every change my sinful ways in order to imitate a Christian’s incredible faith of the past. I’m too sinfully stubborn for that. I’m too comfortable with my own familiar errors to want to do anything about it. Because changing my attitudes and my actions and my words and even my thoughts would take a lot of effort, a lot of sacrifice! To be nicer and kinder and more patience and more faithful in everything I do, to keep God’s unchanging commands better than I have been doing - that’s something that is hard for me to change! It’s so easy to get sinfully stuck, to walk inside the rut that we have made for ourselves, to lie down in the ditch we have fallen into instead of doing everything we can to climb back out. Our sinfulness does not change. But God’s laws do not change. And so we have placed ourselves in an awkward position. We call ourselves Christians but we are in the habit of letting the Lord down every single day. We are experts now, seasoned veterans, of falling far short of what God asks us to do on a regular basis.
But maybe that’s why the writer of the book of Hebrews places chapter thirteen verse eight where he does. Verse eight almost seems out of place, doesn’t it? It almost seems like a break in the line of thought because the author simply lists various commands and encouragements for the first seven verses and then all of the sudden he says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” That’s not a command; it’s a fact. And maybe he wanted to emphasize that these commands are not new fads; they are never-changing decrees. But maybe he also foresaw the guilt and the feelings of shame that his readers would experience from these words. Maybe he wanted to give us a little bit of comfort in knowing that although we cannot always do these things that God asks us to do in the way he wants us to do them, “Jesus Christ is [still] the same yesterday and today and forever.” His laws will not change but neither will his love. The love that he showed his people back then is the same kind of love he shows us right now. And the love that he shows us right now is the same kind of love that he will show us for all eternity. And there’s extreme comfort in that! Because consider the love of God that he has shown his people in the past.
In his love he created this earth purely for the enjoyment of human beings. In his love he gave Adam and Eve a promise of the Savior when they gave his perfect world up for something more. In his love our God preserved his chosen nation throughout the Old Testament even though they proved themselves to be a wicked and stubborn people. In his love he continually sent his prophets to speak the Word of God and write down his promises and judgments. In his love he personally took the form of a man, lived, preached, taught, suffered, died, rose, ascended. This is the love that the Lord has shown us and all of his people in the past. And some things never change. It’s the same kind of love he shows us today. In his love he cancels out debt. In his love he secures our own resurrection. In his love he watches out for us, listens to us, cares for us. In his love he forgives and forgives and forgives when all we do is sin and sin and sin.
Clouds may block the sun from view; trees may shade its light, a roof may keep its occupants from feeling its warmth; but the sun keeps on shining regardless of what’s in front of it. God keeps on loving. He does not stop even if you would stop loving him. He does not stop even if a nation completely rejects him. He does not stop even if everything in your life falls apart around you and you have nothing left to rely on. That love will not diminish over time. That love will not lose its flame. That love will not be stifled or suppressed or taken away. Just as the apostle Paul says, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). God’s love does not go away. It doesn’t matter if you feel it or not. It doesn’t matter if you see it or not. It doesn’t matter if you can pinpoint its results or can prove that it’s there or not. It’s there. God’s love is always there. And it will never leave.
These past few weeks were nice. It’s always nice seeing family every so often. It’s good to catch up; it’s good to relax; and it’s good to know that they are still pretty much the same. But all of those family members that we saw, all of those people that we talked with, all of those close relatives that we rely on and depend on won’t always be there. They will continue to get older and they will one day die. We don’t like to even think about it but you know it’s going to happen - because it has before! And that’s why a passage like Hebrews 13:8 is so important for us. Your Lord won’t die on you because he already has. He would give up his life for you again if that’s what it would take. But that’s not what it’ll will take; he’s already done everything. And so he stays up every night watching over you while you sleep. He is with you every day making sure that you are safe from harm. He is even getting a spot ready for you in heaven at this very moment. And he does that because he loves you. Because he cares for you. Because he longs for you.
And so go to your never-changing God tonight in prayer and thank him for never changing. Praise him for being so constant and dependable. Thank him for never letting you down. He will enjoy hearing your voice or seeing your thoughts. He always looks forward to giving you all the help you need and then some. Because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. And that will never change.
Amen.
“May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers. May he never leave us or forsake us.” - 1 Kings 8:57
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